Pennlive HS FB Top 10s

[Stalker]

Pennsylvania’s 2022 high school football preseason rankings

Updated: Aug. 11, 2022, 10:36 a.m.|

By
Eric F. Epler | eepler@pennlive.com
We are closing fast on opening weekend in Pennsylvania high school football.
Regular season action begins August 26, so it’s time to identify some of the state’s top programs in each classification with our preseason rankings, sponsored by Renewal by Andersen of Central Pa.
During the season, PennLive will publish updated state rankings every Tuesday through the PIAA Championships in December. Cumberland Valley High School is the new host for all six championship games.
Teams below are listed with district, final 2021 record and ranking. NR-not ranked. HM-honorable mention.

CLASS 6A

Rank – Team – District – ‘21 record – ‘21 final rank

1. St. Joseph’s Prep (12) – 11-3 – 2

2. Pittsburgh C.C. (7) – 9-3 – HM

3. Harrisburg (3) – 12-2 – 7

4. North Penn (1) – 11-1 – HM

5. Bethlehem Freedom (11) – 12-3 – 4

6. Garnet Valley (1) – 14-1 – 3

7. Mt. Lebanon (7) – 15-0 – 1

8. Seneca Valley (7) – 7-4 – NR

9. State College (6) – 8-6 – 6

10. McDowell (10) – 9-3 – 10

Teams to watch: Central York (3) 11-1, Downingtown East (1) 9-3, Emmaus (11) 9-4, Parkland (11) 9-2, Wilson-West Lawn (3) 9-4.


CLASS 5A

Rank – Team – District – ‘21 record – ‘21 final rank

1. Imhotep Charter (12) – 11-2 – 2

2. Cathedral Prep (10) – 11-2 – 8

3. Delaware Valley (2) – 9-4 – NR

4. Penn-Trafford (7) – 13-2) – 1

5. Upper Dublin (1) – 9-3 – 6

6. Penn Hills (7) – 8-4 – NR

7. Exeter Township (3) – 10-4 – 3

8. Governor Mifflin (3) – 10-1 – 5

9. Pine-Richland (7) – 7-5 – NR

10. West Chester Rustin (1) -- 11-2 -- 7

Teams to watch: East Stroudsburg South (11) 9-4, Gateway (7) 7-4, Shippensburg (3) 11-1, Strath Haven (1) 13-2, Unionville (1) 10-2.


CLASS 4A

Rank – Team – District – ‘21 record – ‘21 final rank

1. Aliquippa (7) – 13-1 – 1

2. Bishop McDevitt (3) – 12-2 – 2

3. Jersey Shore (4) – 14-1 – 3

4. Thomas Jefferson (7) – 8-3 – 8

5. Allentown C.C. (11) – 9-4 – HM

6. Central Valley (7) – 15-0 – 1 (3A)

7. Lampeter-Strasburg (3) – 11-2 – 6

8. Meadville (10) – 9-4 – 10

9. McKeesport (7) -- 9-3 -- 9

10. Valley View (2) – 12-2 – 7

Teams to watch: Bishop Shanahan (1) 11-4, Manheim Central (3) 9-2, Pope John Paul II (1) 7-3, Selinsgrove (4) 8-4.


CLASS 3A

Rank – Team – District – ‘21 Record – ‘21 final rank

1. Belle Vernon (7) – 10-1 – 5 (4A)

2. Wyomissing (3) – 15-1 – 2

3. Neumann-Goretti (12) – 12-2 – 5

4. Danville (4) – 8-5 – 4

5. Central Martinsburg (6) – 14-1 – 3

6. Elizabeth Forward (7) – 9-3 – NR

7. Hickory (10) – 7-4 – NR

8. North Schuylkill (11) – 10-2 – 9

9. Scranton Prep (2) – 11-1 – 4

10. Grove City (10) – 10-3 – 8

Teams to watch: Avonworth (7) 9-3, Berks Catholic (3) 7-5, Clearfield (9) 11-1, Loyalsock (4) 7-5.


CLASS 2A

Rank – Team – District – ‘21 Record – ‘21 final rank

1. Southern Columbia (4) – 15-1 – 1

2. Farrell (10) – 11-1 – 3

3. Beaver Falls (7) – 9-4 – HM

4. Sto-Rox (7) – 12-1 – 4

5. Mount Carmel (4) – 10-3 – 9

6. Richland Township (6) – 11-3 – 5

7. Bishop Guilfoyle (6) – 11-4 – 1 (1A)

8. Lakeland (2) – 10-2 – HM (3A)

9. Wilmington (10) – 7-3 – NR

10. York Catholic (3) – 11-1 – 10

Teams to watch: Berlin Brothersvalley (5) 8-3, Serra Catholic (7) 14-2, Sharpsville (10) 7-3, South Williamsport (4) 7-4, Steel Valley (7) 11-1, Washington (7) 9-1.


CLASS 1A

Rank – Team – District – ‘21 Record – ‘21 final rank

1. Bishop Canevin (7) – 13-2 – 5

2. Old Forge (2) – 11-1 – 4

3. Steelton-Highspire (3) – 8-3 – 7

4. Canton (4) – 13-1 – 3

5. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (7) – 9-4 – 9

6. Reynolds (10) – 7-5 – NR

7. Homer-Center (6) -- 8-4 -- HM

8. Tri-Valley (11) -- 9-2 -- HM

9. Muncy (4) -- 10-2 -- HM

10. Redbank Valley (9) -- 13-2 -- 2

Teams to watch: Clairton (7) 7-3, Leechburg (7) 9-3, Northern Bedford (5) 9-4, Northern Lehigh (11) 11-4, Rochester (7) 9-3.

 

[Stalker]

The rankings are just a little political, keeping everyone happy representing all but still a fun topic.
As always, I wish they'd put some opinions and research with the teams instead of just throwing a list out there that members of this board could probably do a better job of. We're getting there!

 

[Hausmann1978]

The rankings are just a little political, keeping everyone happy representing all but still a fun topic.
As always, I wish they'd put some opinions and research with the teams instead of just throwing a list out there that members of this board could probably do a better job of. We're getting there!

I agree with you stalker. Except I do agree with all their #1 and a lot of the #2's. In 6A I would have Seneca valley higher then 8. They were my pick to win the wpial this year but pcc and Lebo will be good as well. 5A is always the most balanced with my ramblers being stacked this year. In 4A I think it's a lock to see the top 2 meeting in late December. There are some really interesting teams moving classifications this year as well with belle Vernon moving down and central valley moving up. Hopefully this year we will see district 1 represent as well. I'm looking forward to this season and hearing everyones thoughts and opinions on here.

 

[2020sports]

I agree with you stalker. Except I do agree with all their #1 and a lot of the #2's. In 6A I would have Seneca valley higher then 8. They were my pick to win the wpial this year but pcc and Lebo will be good as well. 5A is always the most balanced with my ramblers being stacked this year. In 4A I think it's a lock to see the top 2 meeting in late December. There are some really interesting teams moving classifications this year as well with belle Vernon moving down and central valley moving up. Hopefully this year we will see district 1 represent as well. I'm looking forward to this season and hearing everyones thoughts and opinions on here.

My info is from WPIAL perspective-
6A- IMO, WPIAL final will be SV vs Lebo. Maybe even NA. I do not think PCC has the "studs" they require to go far- talent, yes. I think SV should be higher and PCC lower
5A- mmm, yes i guess ok, not sure PR deserves top 10, maybe switch Gateway and PR. I like the mention of Penn Hills- early battle will be PR v Penn Hills. Can GM really be that high, after losing Singleton?
4A- wow- gonna be tough group to get thru, will be fun to follow that- i can't disagree
3A- with respect, I do not see BV going too far- they have talent- but not great coaching- maybe #4 or 5. I kinda see them like Governor Mifflin the last two years- a great talented player, but not al the "pieces" to get to a state title. Avonworth gonna be solid- I could them and BV play in WPIAL final

2 and 1- not sure

Good stuff- thanks for posting rankings!

 

[NNFAN]

In the WPIAL... Monroeville Gateway will be loaded in 5a while Seneca Valley will give PCC the biggest challenge in 6a. Rebuilding year for Mt. Lebo and Moon. PCC will be better than last year.

 

[new2pa]

WPIAL 6A:
1. SV
2. PCC - I've been talking to some PCC people and they are very optimistic. Skill guys will be a year older and OL will be better. Defense always good.
GAP
3. Lebo
4. NA
5. CMAC

 

[Hausmann1978]

My info is from WPIAL perspective-
6A- IMO, WPIAL final will be SV vs Lebo. Maybe even NA. I do not think PCC has the "studs" they require to go far- talent, yes. I think SV should be higher and PCC lower
5A- mmm, yes i guess ok, not sure PR deserves top 10, maybe switch Gateway and PR. I like the mention of Penn Hills- early battle will be PR v Penn Hills. Can GM really be that high, after losing Singleton?
4A- wow- gonna be tough group to get thru, will be fun to follow that- i can't disagree
3A- with respect, I do not see BV going too far- they have talent- but not great coaching- maybe #4 or 5. I kinda see them like Governor Mifflin the last two years- a great talented player, but not al the "pieces" to get to a state title. Avonworth gonna be solid- I could them and BV play in WPIAL final

2 and 1- not sure

Good stuff- thanks for posting rankings!

I agree on belle Vernon I think they will be good but next year will be their year. I think Penn hills wins 5A but looses to my ramblers in the western finals.

 

[BradlyPitt]

My info is from WPIAL perspective-
6A- IMO, WPIAL final will be SV vs Lebo. Maybe even NA. I do not think PCC has the "studs" they require to go far- talent, yes. I think SV should be higher and PCC lower
5A- mmm, yes i guess ok, not sure PR deserves top 10, maybe switch Gateway and PR. I like the mention of Penn Hills- early battle will be PR v Penn Hills. Can GM really be that high, after losing Singleton?
4A- wow- gonna be tough group to get thru, will be fun to follow that- i can't disagree
3A- with respect, I do not see BV going too far- they have talent- but not great coaching- maybe #4 or 5. I kinda see them like Governor Mifflin the last two years- a great talented player, but not al the "pieces" to get to a state title. Avonworth gonna be solid- I could them and BV play in WPIAL final

2 and 1- not sure

Good stuff- thanks for posting rankings!

why do you think Matt Humbert isn't a good coach?

I will be shocked if they don't at least win 3A in the WPIAL

 

[Hausmann1978]

I just realized that la salle isn't in the top 10 or HM did they graduate that much talent. I can't remember the last time they haven't been in the rankings.

 

[2020sports]

why do you think Matt Humbert isn't a good coach?

I will be shocked if they don't at least win 3A in the WPIAL

well i have heard BV people say he is not a very good coach, and that game last year in WPIAL final, it really looked like, at least form "afar" kinda seemed to be grasping at straws- kinda manhandled by quippa, and seemed like they were the third best team in 4A last yr

 

[tulla]

I just realized that la salle isn't in the top 10 or HM did they graduate that much talent. I can't remember the last time they haven't been in the rankings.

LaSalle graduated a lot (Brown, Carter, etc.), but they have enough returning--as well as solid coaching--to merit at least being included in the HMs

 

[Hausmann1978]

LaSalle graduated a lot (Brown, Carter, etc.), but they have enough returning--as well as solid coaching--to merit at least being included in the HMs

I agree tulla, these rankings are always off. La salle should be in there.

 

[Hausmann1978]

well i have heard BV people say he is not a very good coach, and that game last year in WPIAL final, it really looked like, at least form "afar" kinda seemed to be grasping at straws- kinda manhandled by quippa, and seemed like they were the third best team in 4A last yr

I could coach that team. Here's my game plan. Hand the ball off to Quinton Martin.

 

[RoverNation05]

EPC South perspective
6A
Freedom at #5 seems high. I realize that it's coming off of playing SJP really close in state quarters, but I have a hard time ascribing that high of a state ranking to a team that doesn't have a GUY who can single handedly make an impact. Last year, that was Braelin Moore (who is now playing defensive tackle at Virginia Tech). This year, they bring back a lot of nice players, and will be a really good team, but unless somebody like Owen Johnson (WR/S - 6'0 215) is way better than I think, or Ethan Neidig (QB - 6'4 215 - played QB as a sophomore before playing WR last year) is a bona fide stud, I don't know if they have the type of elite talent that makes them a factor in November. One player to watch is sophomore defensive end/offensive lineman Tanner Wheeler. His brother Tristan is an FCS All American linebacker and potential NFL draft pick next spring and Tanner is significantly bigger as a 10th grader and could put himself on the map.

Emmaus and Parkland as HM schools are both interesting for different reasons. Emmaus has one of those elusive "good problems" at quarterback, where Jake Fotta had a breakout sohpomore season, then tore his ACL and missed all of last year. He'd be a great bet (assuming health) to be the best QB in District 11, but his replacement, Josiah Williams, ended up having a huge year, throwing for 1,800 yards and leading Emmaus to the D11 finals. Both will play, it's a matter of who plays quarterback. My bet is Fotta takes the snaps while Williams, who is 6'3 220 and was in line to start at safety before getting the QB job, takes on a skill position role. Tyliek Jarvis with a fully healthy year should be one of the best running backs in the Valley. They also bring back a bunch of linemen but have major replacements in the back 7 on defense and at receiver.

Parkland "benefits" from an injury to their quarterback last year, which meant Luke Spang got almost a full season's worth of starts as an underclassman. He'll have one of the most versatile players in the Valley in junior Trey Tremba playing tailback (after having more of a hybrid slot receiver role last year). But it's a brand new offensive line. The other thing to watch with Parkland is how much will freshman Marquez Wimberly play? There has not been a freshman skill player in the Valley with this much hype coming in since Jahan Dotson. It seems to me like Wimberly may play a lot of corner as a freshman before taking on a bigger role on offense in the coming years, but it's an exciting prospect for a program that has lacked dynamic playmakers since their state finals run in 2015.

The other team I'd watch is Nazareth - any time you bring back an all state caliber quarterback, you're in good shape. Sonny Sasso is a real difference maker, and could be a very good QB prospect (6'4 200 with a big arm) if he was not one of the best high school wrestlers in the country and choosing between Ohio State, Penn State, Virginia Tech, and Nebraska. He's got his entire receiving corps back, plus junior left tackle Sean Kinney (6'3 305) who is also on the "elite college wrestling" plan as a heavyweight, otherwise he'd be a group of 5 level recruit on the offensive line.

My alma mater will be interesting but in the middle of the pack. The strength is the offensive line, where Sean Wilson (6'4 260 - Ivy League/Patriot League offers), Odin Ferency (6'5 315), and Anthony Embardino (6'1 275) all return and will block for fullback Aidan Hutchinson (5'11 215 - not the new Lions defensive end), who ran for over 500 yards as their secondary option in the backfield. Juju Fears (6'3 190) is back as one of the best receivers in the conference, after catching 30 passes for over 400 yards as a junior. But the real intrigue will be a trio of sophomores who could set a foundation for the program moving forward. Brady Correll (6'2 210 DE/TE) played snaps as a freshman in 2021 and looks to be the full-time tight end this year. His two brothers played football and wrestled (respectively) at Michigan, but both went to Blair, not Easton. JC Wilson (6'3 185) looks like he may have the other outside receiver spot, while Jasir Frutchey (6'5 180) is a big, rangy safety with a lot of upside. They'll be breaking in a brand new quarterback and almost an entirely new defense outside of Wilson (DE), Javon Frutchey (DE), Hutchinson (MLB), and JV Johnson (CB), so they might take some lumps.

4A
The popular pick to win the league is Allentown Central Catholic, who could make some noise in 4A. They're absolutely huge, led by sophomore defensive tackle Braheem Battle (6'4 310) and have two other 300 pounders on the offensive line in Doyen Kim and Fynn McDonald. They also bring back quaterback Tamlin Ferguson, and if more playmakers emerge on the perimeter, they could be a tough out in November.

 

[Stalker]

I agree tulla, these rankings are always off. La salle should be in there.

A win vs North Penn gets them in Top 6-7....belatedly!

 

[BradlyPitt]

well i have heard BV people say he is not a very good coach, and that game last year in WPIAL final, it really looked like, at least form "afar" kinda seemed to be grasping at straws- kinda manhandled by quippa, and seemed like they were the third best team in 4A last yr

well the Quips line made Belle Vernon's line look like middle school kids, it's hard to block and get around the blocks of guys that outweigh you by literally 100 pounds or so

that's why i have no sympathy for Aliquippa being forced to play up, their line dwarfs everybody else and their coach is worried about his teams safety lol

i was surprised Aliquippa beat them considering BV manhandled Mckeesport a few weeks earlier, and Mckeesport came close to beating Aliquippa in OT in the semis, but styles make fights as they say and the Quips did beat BV the year before in the semis so maybe it wasn't that big of an upset

and BV people are complaining about his coaching? remind your BV friends that until Humbert showed up they were irrelvant since Gary Dongilli left in 2000, and Devin Whitlock and Quintin Martin are probably still at Monessen if not for Humbert